My heart is heavy this morning. Our little Sketchie cat is going through a surgery right now. It broke my heart saying good-bye this morning. He has no idea what he’s in for, what he will wake up to, and have to recover from. I haven’t written much about Sketchie’s bowel problems (most likely because it doesn’t tie into the topic of food very well!), but our vet suspects that he has Irritable Bowel Disease. Many days he is running to get to his litter box in time. I won’t get into details, but it’s so sad to watch. His problems were there as a kitten and have gotten worse over the years. We’ve tried relentlessly to find a cure for his problems – grain-free food, the raw food diet, single protein food sources, pumpkin, probiotics – you name it, and nothing seemed to help for long and he’s also extremely picky with food so that complicates things too. He has had blood work and stool testing galore! I feel so bad for him because he obviously doesn’t understand what is going on with his body.

Our vet recommended that Sketchie have exploratory surgery where they will take a biopsy of his intestines, examine his organs, and look for anything unusual like cancer. If we just put him on medication it might cover up a serious problem that’s going on, so we decided it was best to know what’s really going on inside him. His recent blood work came back that he has low B12 which could be a result of IBD or it could be due to something more serious like lymphoma. The hardest part about this decision is that we don’t know for sure if it will end up finding a solution to his problem, but we figure it’s worth a shot for his long-term health and happiness. We really don’t know what else to do at this point. One thing is for sure; this wacky, quirky little cat has left such a mark on my heart, I can’t imagine my life without him and I would do anything to help him.

The house feels so empty and quiet this morning (there’s no one rubbing his head on my computer screen right now or meowing at me!), but I know he’s in great hands. And he will be spoiled and taken care of 24/7 when he’s home, so hopefully his recovery goes well. I’ll keep you posted on how he’s doing. Hopefully he doesn’t hate us too much, especially with that cone around his head and mystery incision.

There’s no good way to transition into a pancake recipe today, but let’s just go with it. I need a little comfort food right about now! I made these pancakes for Eric and I after the hockey game on Sunday to celebrate the Olympics. It was an event we looked forward to for weeks and I couldn’t think of a better way to treat ourselves. It’s been a LONG time since I wrote about pancakes on this blog…too long, in fact! Hopefully this makes up for lost time.

These vegan pancakes are made with raw buckwheat flour, rice flour, and arrowroot flour - making them naturally gluten-free - and chopped bananas are folded into the batter to provide a fluffy, pillow-like texture. You can enjoy them plain (they are seriously really good without anything added!), or you can get fancy and serve them with some coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, vegan butter, and/or maple syrup. The sky is the limit, pancake lovers. They are also fantastic with some finely chopped chocolate thrown into the batter or blueberries! You can tell I’ve made this recipe a lot! One word of caution: The combination of gluten-free flour is sensitive to changes. I don’t recommend subbing any of the flours with oat flour, for example - it tends to create a pancake that cracks, sticks to the pan, and falls apart. I don’t have any issues with this recipe when I follow it as written and use a non-stick skillet though. This recipe is adapted from my Vanilla Blueberry Buckwheat pancakes.

Yield9 pancakes

Prep time15 Minutes

Cook time15 Minutes

Total time30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground into a fine flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 cups + 3 tablespoons almond milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave nectar)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 heaping cup diced ripe bananas (about 2 small/medium)

Coconut Whipped Cream, for garnish

Chopped Fresh Strawberries, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. A drop of water should sizzle on the skillet when it’s ready.

In a blender, blend the buckwheat groats on high speed until a fine flour forms. Place into a large bowl. Now whisk in the rest of the dry ingredients (rice flour, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, syrup, and vanilla extract. Pour this onto the dry ingredients and whisk the batter until no clumps remain.

Dice the banana until it's the size of peas or a bit larger. Fold the diced banana into the batter.

Lightly grease skillet (I spray olive oil on it). Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of batter onto the preheated skillet and quickly spread the batter out into a circle. Cook until some bubbles appear and the edge looks deeper in colour and more firm. Flip and cook for another couple minutes until golden. Adjust heat as needed. Repeat for the other pancakes. I spray the skillet with oil before each pancake is cooked and this seems to work well.

Stack and serve with Coconut Whipped Cream and fresh chopped strawberries, if desired. Or simply serve with pure maple syrup!

Nutrition Information

Nutritional info does not include garnishes.* Nutrition data is approximate and is for informational purposes only.

Tips:

Notes:

If using frozen blueberries, pour batter onto skillet first and then top with blueberries to prevent bleeding.

I tried subbing the rice flour for oat flour and the pancakes stuck to the pan, so I would advise against that substitution.

If at any time your batter is too thick or if you want thinner pancakes, simply thin it out with a splash or two of almond milk.

Recipient's email* (Seperate Email Addresses with comma)

Your Name*

Please fill in the code below*

Lastly, I want to thank all of you who have let me know you received the cookbook a bit early (Indigo is shipping early and stocking the book in some stores, FYI). I’ve received so many tweets from you sharing pictures of the book in your home, recipes you’ve already made, and the like. It’s really brightened up my week and I’m so grateful for your excitement and support. One week from today, the book will be officially released and out in the world. I feel nervous, excited, anxious, scared, and grateful all at once.

Don’t forget, if you haven’t taken advantage of the Bonus Recipe Bundle with 10 bonus recipes you can still do so until next week. Details here.

I was thinking this morning that it’s only 1 week until Shrove Tuesday (pancake day) and I need to get a hang of my recipe – this looks like a recipe I’d like to start *testing* every day until then :-)

Oh Angela! I am so sorry to here about Sketchie, I hope his surgery goes well and he is back to rubbing his head on your computer screen! Great way to celebrate the defeat against the U.S. I guess were keeping Bieber :)

Poor Sketchie… Hope he feels better soon! I have a bengal also, and at one point she would lick herself so much she was going bald! Vet wanted to put her on steroids, but I wasn’t okay with that. We finally switched from dry food to all wet food, and that has made a huge difference. She’s happy, healthy and more playful, and her coat looks great again…and of course shes sitting right in front of me as I type :). Anyways, just wanted to send some love, from my bengal to yours! Hope he recovers quickly!

Thanks Heather. I’m happy to hear that you were able to resolve the issue! Sketchie is an obsessive cleaner, but thankfully no baldness yet. ;) We have tried him on all wet food diet for the past few months and unfortunately he hates it and has lost a lot of weight. I wish there was an easy solution, but it’s trial and error with all things health I guess!

hi i enjoy ur recipes but i just wanted to reccomend a book for ur kitty its by an old herbalist juliette bairacli levy she reccommends a raw all natural diet, no cat food u can find the book online pretty cheap, maybe try switching to raw chicken or lamb they also do great with fish for food my dog and cats are much better since i stopped feeding them yucky pet food, the problem with it is that they use byproducts like adrenaline soaked blood that they wash off the mats in the slaughterhouses and add it to the food thats just one of many problems with premade petfood i hope the book helps your cat as much as its helped my animals i have followed the book word by word and have gotten amazing results, its my bible pretty much!

I can’t imagine not having my Jack Russell, Roxy, in my office with me, occasionally dropping toys at my feet! When my mom and I went to put her beautiful springer spaniel down, we went for pancakes afterwards, so I totally understand the transition and desire for comfort food at this time – I may have to make a stack in solidarity (pancakes for dinner? I think so!). Hoping everything goes well for your gorgeous Sketchie, and praying for wisdom for the docs to get to the source of the problem.

Aw, Sketchie! Feel better, buddy! We went through a similar experience last year with our kitty Rambo. He was extremely sick, losing weight, having poo issues; lots of kitty ibd/lymphoma symptoms – after what felt like a million poo tests, an ultrasound found a thickening on his colon so they did exploratory surgery on him too. A biopsy found that it wasn’t cancer, just a very bad infection on his colon, for reasons unknown (we think it was because he’s a jerk and eats paper, but who knows). After a very strong course of antibiotics, Rambo is a big healthy guy again a year later, and continues to be the awesomest. It’s so scary and upsetting though to put them through all this, since they don’t understand and you can’t explain it to them. Every time we got him home from the vet though he was just the biggest pile of love – he missed being home! I hope Sketchie has a good outcome and that he feels better! He’ll be happy to be back home with you :)

I’m sending Sketchie lots of positive thoughts…I know how hard that must be both for him and for you, but hopefully this surgery will provide some helpful answers.
Your pancakes look beautiful! I love it when they can stand all on their own – no toppings required. :)

Angela: Sending you and Sketchie good thoughts. My beloved tabby, who I lost in December, had IBD along with many other things, and my little black cat also has either IBD or intestinal lymphoma (We did the X-rays and saw the thickening, but did not have the biopsy because she is 17 and can’t handle anesthesia), so I can empathize with you. Trust the vets, and I’m sure little Sketchie will be fine. I’ll be thinking about you all today.

haha well I tried to keep the chapters even at around 10 recipes per chapter (with the exception of the entrees chapter which is around 15 and the pantry staples chapter), so one didnt overwhelm. it would be very easy to do an entire dessert book someday given my love for sweets.
Thanks for ordering!

Ooh! I L<3VE the idea of an all dessert book! my best guess is… you must already be thinking about one ;) Hoping my cookbook comes this week, too as I can't wait to (gently) tear into it. Best energy and healing vibes to Sketchie – there is no substitute for the love and relationships we develop with the creatures who share our lives. I

I think all purpose gluten free baking mix would work fine, I’ve used it before. (If you mean Bob’s gluten free, I know they sell other stuff too) If you just used Bob’s gluten free pancake mix that would work fine too, I tend to use that as my go to flour mix as it is a little cheaper than plain gluten free flour mix. (No clue why)

I’m so sad to hear about Sketchie :( I look at his pictures often and he is just such an impossibly cute and sweet cat. He is lucky he has such caring owners to look after him. I am sure both his surgery and recovery will go exactly as planned and he will be cured. Things have to get worse before they can get better. And he will absolutely get better!! And of course: Congrats your cookbook. You are inspiring as always, and I CANNOT WAIT to get my copy in the mail :)

I am totally going to try these this weekend if I can find arrowroot. I used to make buckwheat pancakes all the time, I’m not sure why I ever stopped, they are the best!

I hope Sketchie is feeling okay and they figure out what’s going on. My cat, Bella, has been fighting a mystery illness for about 6 months. They thought it was a UTI but they have no idea why or how she got it and why we can’t get rid of the symptoms. Poor thing lost 4 pounds in 6 months (she’s only 8 lbs right now) and it hurts her if I touch her below the shoulders. She’s been recently looking a little better but I hope we can nip it in the bud soon – I adopted her 8 years ago and I know the house would be so lonely without her! Good luck, Sketchie!

Hi Angela,
Thank you for this fabulous recipe! Sending lots of positive thoughts for Sketchie, hope he gets well soon!
I’d like to ask you if I can use buckwheat flour instead of the groats and what could I replace the banana with (or would they work without banana)? Thank you so much!

Wow! That picture looks unbelievably good! Pancakes are my favorite meal to enjoy post long run! I have an 18 mile progression run this afternoon….if I manage to work down to the 6:00 pace I hope to by the end, I think I will reward myself with this as a wonderful post workout meal!

Get well soon Sketchie! Having a sick animal is certainly no fun (one of my cats has season cystitis flare-ups every spring… it’s a good thing he’s so cute, because he costs me a fortune every year). Hopefully they will find something and it will be easy to fix or work around. If he’s picky with wet food, the one that I’ve found that my guys love and will actually eat) is Taste of The Wild (the green can is their favourite). It’s grain free and fairly cheap, might be worth a try.

So excited! I received my copy of the “Oh She Glows” cookbook yesterday. Couldn’t stop looking at the beautiful pictures and recipes. Congratulations Angela! I know this sounds silly, but….I’m so proud of you!!!!!

Oh poor Sketchie! It’s so hard to watch our fur babies go through something that we can’t explain to them or ask them how they are doing. But I think having the answers is sometimes half the battle. Once you are through the whole thing and he is doing better, it will feel like a miracle! I’m sure you will be hearing meows and getting head rubs before you know it.

Those pancakes look amazing. I will definitely have to try them this weekend. And as for the book, I’m jealous that others have gotten their copies and I haven’t gotten mine yet, LOL! Hopefully it will be soon. I can’t wait to see it.

Angela, Your beautiful cookbook was in my mailbox this morning!!! I’m so excited to really sit down and enjoy it. My resolution for 2014 is to make 30 new recipes. I’ve already made 8 from your blog and 1 from another. I think your book will make a huge dent in my numbers. Thank you for your good work, and your beautiful gift to the world. Warmly, Andrea

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Sketchie. I have two bengals and one has had tummy issues since we got her. We finally figured out that she is sensitive to chicken. The only food that she can handle is Acana Lamb flavour. I hope that Sketchie’s problems aren’t a concern for all bengals. Maybe there is a genetic line of bengals in Ontario that have IBS issues?

I hope sketchie will be okay! My cat had this allergy for the longest time and we had no idea what to. He kept getting steroid shots and antibiotics and eventually realized he’s allergic to mainstream proteins like chicken so we switched him to a limited ingredient diet and he’s all better. He’s in my thoughts!

Sorry to hear about your baby. :( I’m a lifelong cat lover too, and I couldn’t imagine going through that with my Sophie. I wish him a speedy recovery.

As for the recipe, these pancakes look scrumptious, and as a fellow Canadian, I love seeing the very Canadian colours. :) I’ll probably give them a go next week when the Chilled Chocolate pie (sans strawberry compote — but I’ll definitely make that too next time) is out of the freezer, making me feel less guilty for breakfast involving whip cream within the same day, hehe.

My thoughts are with you and Sketchie today — I hope everything goes well! My boys both suffer from some sort of intestinal issues, and it’s so hard to not be able to explain to your furbabies why they have to eat yucky tasty cat food or make terrifying trips to the vet so often :(

Totally. :( When I bring in Sophie for a shot or something, she just cries and cries the entire way there. It’s really heartbreaking. At least with a kid, you can explain to them, but poor kitties don’t understand which makes it so much scarier for them.

Hi there! I just thought I’d pop in and give an anecdote about our cat’s experience with inflammatory bowel disease. A couple of years ago, our guy suffered through an awful half-year of intestinal distress, with all of the agonizing and unspeakably gross symptoms. We tried everything: numerous dietary changes, probiotics, metronidazole, and even cortico-steroids. Besides awful (and potentially dangerous) doses of steroids, nothing helped.

As a last-ditch effort before going the surgical route, we tried something called Atopica (which is a brand name of cyclosporine). At the time, the drug was only approved for use in dogs, so we had to try it off-label but under the supervision of a vet. The results have been nothing short of amazing. It did nothing for the first two months, but we persisted with treatment. Then, after a few months of treatment, the symptoms began to clear up. It’s now been almost two years, and besides two very short and minor flare-ups, he’s been a 100% normally functioning cat. (As a bonus, it has also massively improved the skin allergies that he has been dealing with since kitten-hood.) It’s been a real wonderdrug for us. I can’t say if it would do the same thing for you, of course. And you might have already tried it. But I thought I’d give you a shout.

I have more details I can share if you’re interested. Feel free to not post this publicly, and also feel free to email me directly if you want to hear more. I know how stressful this must be.

My cookbook arrived yesterday!!! Waaahooo!! I snuck out (left my 2wk old baby with my parents- ha!) to the bookstore to pick it up and am so glad I did!! It’s beautiful and I cannot wait to make ALL the recipes!! (starting with the chia power bread, on my way to Bulk Barn once my little man wakes up to get the ingredients)
Thank you Angela!!!

I made the original version of these just yesterday (the ones with blueberries) though I made them plain and layered them with strawbs and soy yog so they were kind of like this shortcake!
Lovely and tender for a GF pancake :)

Just wanted to let you know I’ve already made 6 recipes from your cookbook! everything is amazing and the photography is gorgeous :) Love the Glo-Bars – perfect snack to pack for work to get me through the day. Also FYI – I saw your books are really nicely displayed at the Yonge/Eglinton Indigo (I feel like if it was me I would want to run around to all the bookstores and check it out lol)

My dog suffered badly from that for years and was on meds. I switched him to a gluten free dog food (avoiding corn and soy) he is totally healed and no longer needs meds. Hopefully that helps your kitty

Thinking of you and Sketchie right now. Hopefully he’s coming out of surgery now and is waking up just fine. Our dog Kaya definitely has her digestion quirks of her own and we too have gone through different kibble, pumpkin, probiotics, omgegas, l-gluatmine and now we have stuck with raw. It’s not the perfect mix but it sure is hard to figure that out. Your love for Sketchie is great and I know he’ll be happy to be home.

Can’t wait for March 5th! I’ve pre-ordered on Amazon and just remembered now to download your bundle! Thank you!!!

Hi Angela – my Bernese mountain dog has IBD and she too had low B12 levels. I give her monthly shots of B12 and keep her on a raw food diet and very little else. It has helped a great deal. I’m not sure if this would be OK for cats, but my dog is on a long term low dose of Tylan (Tylosin) and it keeps the symptoms under control. Perhaps you could ask your Vet… Good luck and hope Sketchie feels better soon.

Ange, I am so so sorry to hear that Sketchie has been having such a tough time. I’m sure he’ll be fine through his hospital visit and I’m sending some speedy recovery vibes his way! It’s amazing how much of a family member pets become. It was like that for all 3 of the dogs we had in my family growing up and although none of them had any serious medical issues, it was always so weird leaving for university and not having them around me any more. I hope all of you enjoy some good cuddle time when he returns home!

I received my cookbook last week and this weekend made the apple crumble (with apples and pears). It was excellent. The best (and healthiest) that I have ever made.
Thanks Angela for sharing your gift with the us!

So sorry to hear about Sketchie’s health troubles :( When my cat Candy started suffering from epilepsy 3 years ago, I was totally distraught so I know what you are going through.
Thankfully, by doing a lot of research, I’ve managed to make changes to Candy’s diet and lifestyle which have greatly reduced the frequency and severity of her seizures.
I hope the surgery will provide all the answers you need to help Sketchie get better and I wish him all the best for a speedy recovery :)
Thank you for this lovely pancake recipe and for your lovely blog in general :)
Take care xx

Hi Angela,
I am so sorry to hear about Skectchie as we are going through a similar thing with our cat Ridley. She was also diagnosed with either IBD or lymphoma as well. She has been on prednisolone and tylosin for two months now, along with eating kitten food for the extra calories, and she has done awesome. I have also started giving her B12 shots weekly. She has already gained about 1.5 to 2lbs and has gone from vomiting daily to twice in 2 months. I am not sure if your vet has tried this treatment yet, but it was so great for Ridley. Best of luck and I hope he gets better.

Your kitty might benefit from NAET. It’s not easy to find someone who does this allergy elimination treatment on animals (and not every location has a place that does it on humans either), but it’s a super amazing allergy elimination treatment based on acupuncture, kinesiology and various other Western modalities. People have had amazing results from it, including myself. I know it can eliminate the allergies that cause irritable bowel syndrome. I’m not a professional, but your kitty may be allergic to a basic nutrient in all meat or something like that. NAET can fix that.

It’s actually something you can do yourself if you learn the treatment…. If you can’t find someone near you, maybe someone would be willing to help you learn it long distance?

Anyway, just a thought. Poor kitty is allergic to something and it seems hard to eliminate it from his diet. My cat had a similar problem – itchy skin and eating the fur off her belly, congestion – until we found what she was allergic to.

Hello Angela, Not sure if you care for me but here is a way to show you Im ok…Remember there was a point in your life when you changed, when maybe you immersed your heart and soul with healing and whole foods, well there is in deed a way to take care of Sketchie more than buying the best holistic food, or alkaline water or possibly some homemade vegan kitty treats, I mean you can do herbal therapies and here is a reliable resource their called myhealthyzoo.com its the very best herbal nutrition for your pets( they have many formulas for cats even for pain,immune boosters, a super cat formula) , I will be honest with you Ive been going to the stomach doctor also and I was scheduled last week for my biopsy myself but I canceled to get my finances aligned, the cost add up quick even with insurance but im praying for ulcers only. well hope your pet gets well I use to make your recipes about 3 times a day now not so much as my stomach does not process food well at this point. Much love, One love

You are amazing. This website is amazing. Every time I hop online to look a recipe, I am always redirected to this website… IT ALWAYS HAS THE BEST LOOKING RECIPES!!! I have only tried a few so far and I loved them.

I am a new vegan so there are a lot of new ingredients that I am not too familiar with. Now I live with two very good friends, who have been vegans for years now. They cook all the time. and buy all sorts of stuff.

I haven’t been a big fan of the squash family, but you’re making me want to give them another try. “Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze” looks amazing. The baked squash actually looks very appetizing to me. I will be making this VERY soon.

Thank you for making these recipes available. I will definitely be ordering your books, not just for myself but also for the independent bookstore which I work.

I’m so sorry to hear about Sketchie :( He is such a part of Oh She Glows and I can only imagine how quiet your house must seem with him in surgery! I hope by now he is home safe and well and perhaps there’s some news to help you manage his IBS issues from now on too.

That tower of pancakes with cream and fresh strawberries…you did that on purpose! You did that to make anyone who see it to drop everything and run and make a batch too! Nicely done;) They DO look delectable…

Firstly, those pancakes look A-MA-ZING! Secondly, I can’t wait for your cookbook! I pre-ordered it to my home in Canada, but Im in Scotland until end of March so Im going to have to wait a bit, booo. Your extra recipe bundle is helping tide me over though!

I just wanted to add that I’ll be thinking of you and Sketchy. I completely understand what you are going through. IBD is a really hard disease to diagnose in animals, its basically a diagnosis of exclusion after ruling out all other possible causes, so I know how frustrating it has been for you trying to manage Sketchy’s bowel issues. I hope the biopsy samples come back with a definitive answer for you. Wishing Sketchy a speedy and event-free recovery.

I made these for breakfast today and they were so good! I rarely have any success making pancakes – they either get stuck, won’t flip, burn or break! These are the first pancakes I have made that didn’t do any of that. I also made sure my pan was hot enough (which I never do) and that must have also helped. I topped mine with blueberries instead as I didn’t have strawberries – amazing!

Angela, I hope all goes well for Sketchie. As I’m typing, George the Cat is shoving books off of my desk onto the floor one-by-one. They do like attention don’t they? And again thanks for another lovely recipe. I ordered your cookbook from my little book shop. I am pleased to know that I will have it in a week.

Love that you love the cat’s soul…..admirable ….get well soon most-beloved feline!
Also love these goodies! You always share such wonderful recipes. Thank you SO much from sunny Arizona at 5:30A LOL….okay, not sunny…yet.

angela,
sending white light to sketchie and you and eric! know that the vets will take very very good care of him and that animals are stong and he will be so happy to see you when he comes home, not angry.
i really hope he gets better soon. i love people like you who are so devoted to their pets that they help them however they can. i’m sure sketchie feels that enormous amount of love and he is a lucky kitty because of it!

Sketchie will be in my thoughts today!! I hope all goes well. It’s never fun to have to make decisions for your animals health. My dog has to have surgery next week and I’m already nervous about it. But I’m sure your vet is wonderful and Sketchie will be healthy and happy in no time!

And mmm those pancakes look fantastic! I think I know what I’ll be having for lunch today!

All my best to Sketchie. IBD in cats is, unfortunately, very common. You’re doing the absolute right thing by obtaining a diagnosis via biopsy. Thankfully, once properly diagnosed, in most cases, it can be treated, even if it turns out to be intestinal lymphoma. You and Sketchie are in my thoughts.

I had a cat that had to go under surgery to remove a growth by her eye. It ended up being a subcutaneous mast cell tumor, so I am very glad we had it removed! It behaves benignly and the vet is very optimistic. But man, was is so hard to drop her off and not *know* what the result would be, or how she would fare, or what it would mean for her prognosis. She had to wear a donut for a couple weeks, but she just had the stitches out on Monday (which means the donut came off) and is back to her normal self.

So hang in there! I know how scary this is. But you are a really great person for doing this, and it is because you care so much that this is so scary. *hugs*

Sending good vibes for Sketchie! I hope he is home and healing now. We have an asthmatic cat so I understand the anxiety around not being able to explain to your lovely cat that you really are trying to help him!
Love me some pancakes. I’m already planning my day around a trip to Whole Foods to get Buckwheat Groats!

I’m so sorry to hear about poor little Sketchie. We are also parents to a fur baby and I can relate to the helpless feeling when they are sick. I’m sending my love and prayers his way. Stay positive! :) xxoo

Sending positive thoughts for Sketchie, as well as the worried parents. A web resource that I recommend is the yahoo group, Whole Cat Health. Amazing amount of knowledge there. I was glad to read that you are open to trying different diets (I personally feed my crew raw), and hope that y’all get an answer from the exploratory surgery.

These look wonderful, and make me want summer to arrive so we can all enjoy freshly picked strawberries on top of fluffy pancakes! Keep thinking positive thoughts about your furry friend. Knowledge is power!

So sorry to hear about Sketchie’s health problems. One of our cats has been having these strange seizure-like episodes lately…the vet isn’t sure what’s causing it so we’re just monitoring for now. I totally understand how it feels to love and worry so much about a beloved pet! Wishing you and Eric the best, and Sketchie a speedy recovery.

I hope it’s not inappropriate to say that the term “food porn” totally applies to your website! Your photos are always so beautiful. I make your recipes whenever I can and log on just to drool over them even when I don’t have time. ;-) I currently have no less than 7 tabs open with recipes I’d like to try. I’m also seriously jealous of those who’ve already received their cookbooks! Mine hasn’t arrived here in France yet.
P.S. I’m so sorry about Sketchie. My cat spent 2 months in the dreaded collar this summer after an eye operation. It’s so hard when you can’t explain to them why you’re torturing them! But it’s for the best. Good luck to you both!

As fantastic as these pancakes look, I can help but think about how you feel right now. I’m so attached to my animals so I know how it feels when something is wrong with them…just awful. But he is obviously in the best hands possible!

I hope that they can figure things out and it all turns out to be fine. Keep us updated!

Hi Angela! I’ve been following your blog from almost the beginning and when I received your cookbook in the mail yesterday I squealed! The pictures are so beautiful and the recipes are everything I could have hoped for in a cookbook! I bought another one for a housewarming present for a friend. Congratulations on all your success!

Hi Angela,
I’m sorry to hear about your cat. I too, have a Great Dane with IBS (IBD?) and know so well your struggle and frustration. He was also a very picky eater but I know suspect that he was shying away from foods that made him feel unwell. Have you read any of Karen Becker’s posts on the Mercola pet site? She has some helpful info in the realm of functional medicine. B12 deficiency typically indicates lower GI inflammation and/or low stomach acid. There could be some pancreatic insufficiency secondary to the inflammation = inability to properly digest and absorb nutrients. From what I’ve read, you have lots of positive energy coming your way for the two of you, but I’ll send you some more. Best wishes!

Totally off topic but…..I just voted for you on the kitch.com…I brought you even with 101 cookbooks for the top spot. Here is the address for your many followers to take you to the top!
http://www.thekitchn.com/nominate-your-favorite-food-blogs-for-the-homies-awards-the-homies-2014-200239

I’m so sorry about your kitty. I would be a nervous wreck if my cat was having surgery.

Just wondering if the vets think he has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as they are two different disorders, with IBD being much more serious. Regardless, I’m sending good, healing thoughts to you guys.

I’m so sorry to hear about your cat! I foster cats (feral cats that I tame), and it is so incredibly stressful and sad to have your pets deal with health problems! I’m sending get-better vibes your way!

Also, the pancakes. Wow. They look so incredibly delicious. I can’t wait to try this recipe!!

I made these today and they were fabulous! I even reduced the buckwheat flour to 1/2 cup and used a combination of coconut flour, almond flour, and GF flour since it was what I had in the house, then threw in a few kale leaves for fun, and they were still fluffy and tender! Thanks again for a great recipe, and I hope your sweet cat is doing better!

I can relate to your kitty issues. We’ve been through such heartbreaking kitty trauma the past few years. One unexpected death and another with mystery illnesses resulting in ultrasounds, biospies, surgeries. These babies are part of our hearts and our lives. I pray that Sketchie is okay, that you receive positive news, and that your heart will be at peace. One piece of advice that encourages me…pets live in the now. We are here to make their now as happy as we can. When he’s back in your home with you he won’t be thinking about his experience at the vet. He’ll just be happy to have you snuggle him. :)

Hope your Sketchie will be fine. I have a chocolate lab that goes almost everywhere with me. She is my best companion. She had a stomach problem for about a year and I fed her a poached chicken, rice and pumpkin combination. Then poof! all of a sudden she was fine. Sending healthy thoughts your way.

Giving your pet to the vet (even though it is for the best) is always really hard but it is such a relief when you KNOW what is going on with them. My cat Barb had some serious fur loss and my vet did a biopsy on her to find the source of the problem. Turns out she just needed to change her diet. Relief! I hope all goes well with your kitty and it turns out to be something completely manageable for you, your kitty and family. Best of luck!

Sorry to hear about Sketchie. I myself have Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It sucks. From what I’ve heard, animals with it are generally treated with prednisone or some other corticosteroid. It certainly helps us humans with it. Hope everything turns out well. Best wishes from me and my four kitties.

I made these and they were absolutely delicious. I’ve made so many different gluten-free vegan pancakes and been disappointed more often than not. When I saw your recipe, I was so excited. The pancakes turned out wonderfully. Many recipes use a ton of different types of flour and they don’t even turn out good, your recipe is proof that simple is sometimes better. My sister also said it’s nice to be able to eat pancakes and then not feel sick after… gluten-free is great!

Cannot wait to go out and buy your cookbook!
Also, really sorry to hear about Sketchie! Just last weekend I had to take my Chase to the vet for a similar problem – worst part is that even after doing everything they said (changing his litter box, changing his food and forcing pills) he wasn’t any better. A little online research pointed me to Pumpkin and (for now) he seems to be doing a lot better. Keep us posted on Sketchies progress – he’s definitely my second favourite reason for reading your blog :)

I am currently studying abroad in Spain, and one thing I have been craving like crazy is a good ole’ pancake and this recipe looks divine! I guess returning back to the states in a few months won’t be too horrible since I’ll be able to make these beauties!

For six medium pancakes for my own breakfast, I start with half a large ripe banana, mashed. I use about a cup of grain, which usually includes a blend of buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, polenta, and rolled oats.

I add one teaspoon of baking soda (NOT baking powder), because soda makes things rise while powder makes them spread. And a tablespoon of oil. And I flavor these days with allspice, cardamom, and fresh minced ginger. I also usually add some chocolate chips and pecan pieces.

Finally, I pour in some water. I never measure it and my pancakes often come out a little different depending on how much I use. It might be about ½–¾ cup. I stir it up well.

All the while, I’ve been preheating my Scanpan griddle, which takes about 5–7 minutes to warm up over medium heat. I pour on four pancakes at a time, and the batter is thick enough to require a little nudging from a spoon but nearly pourable. They cook maybe two minutes on each side, but I think a little less on the second. I warm maple syrup in a small pot and slice the remaining half banana on the pancakes after depanning.

I have been DYING to make these. I am obsessed with pancakes and have been missing them like crazy since going wheat-free while nursing my wheat sensitive baby. I finally made them this morning and used cornstarch as a sub for the arrowroot powder as my grocery store has been out of it for the past few weeks. They turned out great! My only disappointment was that after being on a recent banana kick, I am banana-ed out and so these were more banana-y than I was looking for (like all my new banana themed adjectives?) So, I was wondering, if I am looking to make a more traditionally flavored pancake could I substitute an egg and some honey for the banana (as I am guessing it is a binder and sweetener here). What do you think?

I recently developed a sensitivity to wheat so when my hubby wanted to make pancakes for breakfast I quickly went online to see what gluten-free/vegan options were available. Not all gluten-free pancakes seemed appetizing, which is how I stumbled onto your website. THANK GOODNESS! I couldn’t tear myself away from your recipe blog. I never thought vegan could be so appealing. My daughter tried the gluten-free pancake recipe and won’t eat ‘regular’ pancakes again. I picked up a copy of your cookbook at Chapters on the weekend — last one on the shelf! Thank you for being true to yourself and inspiring others.

I’m really enjoying my cookbook and have given/recommended it to several of my family and friends – it’s great, well done!

I’ve made these pancakes many times, and when I want a change from rice flour, teff flour is a perfect substitute – the pancakes don’t stick and the consistency is the same as with rice flour, plus you get the added benefit of dietary fiber, protein and iron – perfect!

As well, I mix the entire recipe in the blender – just toss all the ingredients in, including the 2 bananas, and mix it well. There aren’t chunks of banana, but the flavour and texture is wonderful! I then stir in some frozen blueberries and raspberries for a little extra nutrition and texture.

Thank you for yet another delicious, wholesome recipe, and congratulations on all of your successes … all the best with your pregnancy – so happy for you both – and with your dear, little Sketchie.

Tammy Root refered me to your blog. My two year old son seems to be allergic to milk, eggs and tree nuts, so I am scrambling to figure out what to feed him. Your recepies sound delicious so I am definatley going to try a few over the weekend. Do you think it is OK to sabstitute almond milk in your pancake recepies with Rice or hemp milk?

It was a sad day recently when I learned I couldn’t tolerate gluten, dairy or eggs. I can’t even say the word “vegan” let alone adopt eating that way. Yick.
Then I found you. I made these pancakes today and asked, “Why would anyone make ‘regular’ pancakes when these are so good?”
I have buckwheat groats. I have hope. I will survive as long as you give me recipes for food I actually Want to eat.
Bless you. And Sketchie, too. :-)

How’s Sketchie doing now? I know how that is too. I have a bengal and he had an ear infection recently. He needed extra antibiotics than first prescribed and I worried that he would have to have surgery, but he didn’t. He is okay now.

Hi! My kids and I love making pancakes. :) I’m new to healthy cooking and wanted to give this a try. Unfortunately, mine turned out all grey due to the cot of the buckwheat flour. :-/ Are there different kinds/cord of buckwheat?? Grey pancakes are definitely NOT a cheery way to start the day. :( Help!

Hi Autumn, Yes there are two different kinds that I know of – raw buckwheat flour (which is what I created for this recipe by grinding down raw buckwheat groats – see recipe) and then there is buckwheat flour in grocery stores which is most often the toasted variety – it has a much less pleasant flavour and my guess is not the same colour either. I hope this helps and better luck next time!

Sorry about your kitty. Lyme disease (usually from a tick) kills the digestive track. I know because I have “leaky gut syndrome” from it. This illness killed my husband – he was a veterinarian. You can be bitten (tick or other vector), born with it (from infected mother) or get it from an intimate partner. There are tests for lyme, the best is the Western Blot (not sure of spelling) but it has to include the strain for lyme, and not all the tests do. It can be treated, but each case is different, so that makes it very difficult. Other infections can be transmitted as well from the tick such as babesia, bartinella, and others. Your vet should know of these, although info is just now coming to the surface. Blessings to all of you. Joan

Just made these this morning and they were amazing!! I subbed out the bananas for my homemade unsweetened applesauce. The results were perfect. Recipes like this make being a newly made gluten free, dairy free person so much easier!!

I was looking around and picked this recipe to try because I had all ingredients on hand. Subbed normal rice flour for brown rice flour and used coconut oil for frying. Wow they’re great! The apartment smells sweet and coconutty and my husband can’t stop eating them.

I am on an elimination diet so what I can eat is very limited. I made these pancakes but used buckwheat flour I had on hand. The recipe turned out so thick I had to add water and when I try to make them they stick to the pan and won’t cook inside. I make GF pancakes for my son using the Pamela’s mix w/o any issues. Did anyone else make this recipe with any luck? The buckwheat I have is dark in color, almost purple but your pancakes are light in color. Help!

Hi there,
It sounds like you used roasted buckwheat flour rather than raw – this accounts for the change in colour. I also recommend using a non-stick pan when making vegan + GF pancakes as other pans tend to stick to the batter. Hope this helps!

I bought it in bulk and it was labeled as buckwheat flour. I also used the mix in a non stick waffle iron and it also stuck to that. I find the flavor a bit too intense and woody and read that there are two types of buckwheat. Perhaps I am getting the one that is more earthy in taste? What do you know about that?

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I’ve been trying to find an egg/gluten free pancake mix for a while – there are a lot out there but none that have made me forget about the traditional style pancakes until I tried this! So instead of pancake day this Feb, me and husband have ended up having pancake week! Absolutely delicious

Hi Peter,
The chemo meds have definitely extended his life and he was back to his old self in no time. Unfortunately recently his health seems to have declined slightly but I hope it’s going to pass soon. Thanks for thinking of him!

I didn’t try this recipe because I’m a vegan stuck in a meat world. I live overseas in China, and I cannot get arrowroot powder or buckwheat flour. Any substitutes for these? I have been using your amazing recipes to convince my friends there are many wonderful vegan dishes. So far, I have many who are willing to try. Yippee! Thank you! I am not a cook, but I have hope thanks to you!

Hey TJ, I think the arrowroot could be swapped for cornstarch, but I haven’t tried it yet. The buckwheat flour may be able to be swapped or another flour too, but again I haven’t tried any out yet. If you do, I’d love to hear how it goes!